Crewe Alexandra FC are taking on the victims of paedophile youth coach Barry Bennell at the High Court by denying liability for his crimes.
The League Two club claim the parents rather than the club let boys stay overnight with Bennell, who is now serving a 31-year prison sentence for his crimes.
The Railwaymen are preparing for civil cases and have brought in specialist lawyers who have defended child sex abuse claims against the Roman Catholic church.
Crewe claim they should not pay damages and it would be 'quite impossible' to have a fair trial over the events of the 1980s and 1990s, reported The Guardian.
The club also believes that Bennell's crimes were 'not committed in the course of his duties' as youth team coach. He was jailed over the offences in February 2018.
Bennell was described as the 'devil incarnate' by a judge after being convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of abusing 12 boys aged eight to 15 between 1979 and 1991.
Two of his victims have now lodged claims for at least £200,000 in damages after being left with mental health issues including post-traumatic stress and depression.
But Crewe insists that the club are not liable for any psychological damage caused by the trauma or 'the consequence of other life choices' made by the player.
Dino Nocivelli, an associate solicitor at Bolt Burdon Kemp, which is representing the players, told the Guardian that Crewe's legal position was 'disappointing'.
He said he wanted defendants 'in all abuse cases to recognise the inappropriateness of raising a limitation defence and the impact this has on survivors'.
It comes a week after Manchester City launched a 'survivors' scheme' that will see Bennell's victims receive six-figure sums in damages and an apology from the club.
It will involve offering compensation packages and an apology to players sexually abused during their time in the club's youth set-up.
The scheme is the first of its kind set up by one of the clubs implicated in the sexual abuse scandal that rocked football.